Irreconcilable Differences?

          Intellectual Stalemate in the Gay Rights Debate

A panoramic, non-partisan textbook on religious, scientific, and political issues

by Thomas C. Caramagno, Ph.D.

Folsom Lake College

(Praeger Press, 2002)

What happened to the "debate" in the gay rights debate?  The rhetoric

of warfare has replaced reasoned dialogue.  Anti-gay groups condemn

gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transgendered persons (GLBT) as

deviates destroying the nation's moral fiber; pro-gay groups condemn

the Christian Right as bigots threatening civil freedoms. Its more than

just about sex.  At issue are the tensions between religious dogma and

secular pluralism, the rival authorities of science and religion, the

rights of minorities versus majorities in a democracy, and the diverse

meanings and practices of desire.

Irreconcilable Differences is a non-partisan textbook designed to

provide students with a fair and accurate introduction to the core,

unresolved issues in the gay rights debate.  While both sides bring

something valuable to the discussion, progress is handicapped by the

different ways opponents understand the world and interpret

evidence.   This book examines in detail the scientific research

(biology, psychology, sociology, anthropology), theological origins

(Christian and non-Christian, orthodox and liberal biblical

scholarship), and the political, legal and social implications

(constitutional law, hate crime legislation, secular pluralism and the

public good) of how Americans think about sexual diversity.

It considers how past translators edited ambiguous passages in the

Bible, and how theological disagreements over interpretation need not

be demonic nor bigoted, but enriching. Science offers evidence that

sexual diversity is worldwide and perhaps biologically- based, but how

do we translate scientific facts into religious, political, and personal

values?  Can "natural law" keep up with the natural sciences?  Is a

"gay gene" necessary or even helpful for determining constitutional

protections? And how can biological models explain the emerging

postmodern sexualities that defy gay/straight categories?  Politically,

can government legislate moral and social values (both liberal or

conservative) without discriminating against those who do not accept

them?  What kind of government intervention would best serve both

religious freedom and personal freedom?

This is a book both sides should read, especially those who feel

unrepresented by the armed camps of the Left and the Right. 

Can we begin thinking about this debate outside party lines? 

For a more detailed, chapter-by-chapter description, and a free

reading of the book's Preface and First Chapter, click here:

PREFACE & CHAPTER ONE  

ISBN: 0-275-97721-8.  Buy in paperback at  AMAZON.COM

keywords: gay rights debate, gay and lesbian, sexual orientation, gay gene, gay politics, Christianity, hate crimes, Bible.